Action on mine officials after fire

Resources Safety and Health Queensland has cancelled the statutory certificates of competency of two former officials at North Goonyella coal mine, three years after an underground fire at the mine. The action finalises the enforcement processes stemming from the Queensland Mines Inspectorate investigation of the incident at the Peabody-operated mine. Cancellation of the individuals’ certificates of competency meant they may not be employed in the safety critical position of underground mine manager in any Queensland coal mine, the RSHQ said. On September 1, 2018, all workers were withdrawn from the underground workings at the mine as a precautionary measure in response to rising carbon monoxide levels at the longwall. In the hours that followed, the North Goonyella mine’s spontaneous combustion triggers were reached, escalating the risk of an underground explosion. This culminated in an underground fire. The metallurgical coal mine, north of Moranbah in the Bowen Basin, remains in care and maintenance QMI published its preliminary observations in relation to the incident in July 2019. In deciding to cancel the individuals’ certificates of competency, RSHQ said the watchdog's chief executive officer considered evidence of their actions in response to escalating risks at the mine which had the potential to cause serious harm to workers. "Effectively managing risks associated with spontaneous combustion and methane is critical to preventing serious harm to coal mine workers. Incidents such as the Moura No. 2 mine explosion in 1994 and the Moura No. 4 explosion in 1986, which together claimed 23 lives, in addition to other tragic incidents before them, are tragic reminders of this," the authority said in a written statement. It said the decision to cancel the certificates was consistent with RSHQ’s compliance and enforcement policy and reflected its expectation that obligation-holders applied the highest standards to ensure the safety and health of workers. A Peabody Energy spokeswoman this week said the company acknowledged the decision from Resources Safety and Health Queensland and would continue to work cooperatively with the Queensland Government to share and implement the learnings from the North Goonyella incident. Peabody Energy in 2019 released a statement on its learnings based on a comprehensive review of the events surrounding the incident, which included the mine general manager's required investigation report prepared in accordance with Section 201 of the Queensland Coal Mining Safety and Health Act of 1999. Among the actions outlined were to review ventilation controls and design used during the longwall "take-off" process, improve the sealing management plan to provide greater clarity around the required steps for sealing the longwall panel, to hone its system for the management of Trigger Actions Response Plans (TARPs), and to review the Principal Hazard Management Plan (PHMP) for Spontaneous Combustion and Emergency Response around the provision of clear and concise guidance in relation to gas readings. It also said at the time it would evaluate decision-making processes to address the challenges of remotely managing an underground incident solely from the surface, which can lead to unclear or ambiguous results. "For instance, as the incident approached late September and treatment of the oxidation event escalated, including injection of nitrogen from the mine surface into the 9 North panel goaf, fluctuating gas readings led North Goonyella mine personnel and expert third-parties to believe that the treatment plan was likely working due to a purging of gases from the goaf," it said.

Action on mine officials after fire

Industry Queensland

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